Cleveland Museum of Art

Naophorous Statue of the Finance Officer and Overseer of Fields, Horwedja

Date

521–486 BCE

Medium

graywacke

Culture

Egypt, Late period (715–332 BCE), Dynasty 27, reign of Darius I (522–486 BCE)

Department

Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Naophorous (naos.bearing) statues show the subject holding a naos, or shrine, containing an image of a deity, in this case the god Ptah of Memphis. These statues were very popular during the Late Period. Almost invariably they are of hard stone, made to last for eternity. As finance officer under Darius I, Horwedja was in a good position to afford such a monument. Darius I was the second Persian king to rule over Egypt and the only one who seems to have had a genuine appreciation of the country. Egypt prospered under his rule, and the arts flourished.

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